After nearly two dozen primaries, we now know beyond dispute that the pessimists were wrong. Obama won the majority of white votes in Virginia, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Illinois and Utah, and he received extremely high vote totals among whites in the other states he's run in as well.
Forget, for a moment, about white women, [oh, yes, let's do that!] many of whom have been drawn to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton through a strong sense of sisterhood. Look instead at white men. In a remarkable number of states, according to exit polls, Obama won more than 40% of the white male vote. Those states included Clinton's home state of New York (where Obama got 43%), Arizona (45%) and, most remarkably, the Deep South state of Georgia (46%). Indeed, in Connecticut, New Mexico, Illinois, California, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin, his support from white men was in the quite amazing range of 56% to 64%.
What's more, Obama would probably have won similar levels of support from white female voters -- if he hadn't ended up in a race against a woman. After all, there's no evidence to suggest that white women are less likely to vote for an African American candidate than white men are. If Clinton weren't running (and pulling away votes based on her gender), there's no reason why Obama's numbers among white women wouldn't be as high as his numbers among white men.
So, white women voting for Hillary Clinton are basing their vote on gender, but white men voting for Barack Obama are not. Just shoot me now.
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Feminist Policy on Iraq and Afghanistan
This is a special post to all Hillary-voting feminists.
We all want to do an action together - to begin to act as 3rd wave feminists in our own worlds, yet together.
I believe we must begin to articulate a feminist foreign policy for Iraq and Afghanistan that Hillary can adopt which will be accepted by the majority of US citizens. A Feminist Foreign Policy will have as a goal the liberation of middle east women from Sharia law and will elevate the goal of equal gender rights in a civil democratic society, maybe even based on Israeli democracy.
Maryam Namazie writes:"In 1973, as a result of international attention and widespread opposition to the apartheid system in South Africa apartheid was recognised as a crime against humanity.
On the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, let’s together proclaim that sexual apartheid is a crime against humanity. "
Feminists Democrats should offer a platform that addresses the needs of women in Iraq and Afghanistan. The feminist position on would advocate equal rights for Iraq and Afghanistan women with reconstruction democracy training and the implementation of a civil secular law system.
We should eventually offer amendments to the constitution which will form a secular society with secular non-religious law. But it is better if democracy comes from the bottom up. So reconstruction should begin at the surge level.
At the beginning some separate gender activities may be needed to protect women and enforce their rights.
Democracy training reconstruction in Iraq instead of rapid withdrawal can be the feminist democratic platform. The CNN reports from Iraqi citizens say this is what the people of Iraq are asking the US to do now. A soldier said: We need a book of democracy because what we want is personal freedom. That is what we want all this suffering to result in - freedom for the individual in Iraq.
The Iraqi also said, We have all this oil - the people should not be so poor.
As part of the democratic platform on Iraq, the US should work out economic treaties with Iraq that benefit our both countries. That see workers organized into unions which are independent and protected from government and criminal interferences.
We can use the oil revenue while creating a solar/wind society with economic opportunity for males and females . We can leave behind a good public secular school system for girls and boys.
The boys on the left in the democratic party want to do another Vietnam withdrawal throwing the people to their enemies. Because they are rich spoiled brats who feel no sense of obligation to those they use to get ahead. These are the Obama elites of the US. They live like kings and that is their mindset. Let's get out now, there is nothing in it for US.
Feminists should insist on the Japan/German model of reconstruction which led to friendly relations rather than the estrangement we have had from withdrawal without reconstruction in Viet Nam and Cuba all these years.
Feminists should Reject the male left's policies toward Iraq and Afghanistan. It is hard to do but we must speak out for women. You have seen the boys are not with us - now, before it is too late we must speak up for women.
This must become part of Hillary's Iraq program, not withdrawal but reconstruction training in democracy; with the end of gender apartheid as the primary goal.
Specifically, reconstruction with women trained by US soldiers, armed and functioning as protective associations for women's rights - guarding women's centers and shelters, enforcing sexual abuse and domestic violence complaints, working with male units.
The democracy - freedom guarding functions of such units could be praised all over the country as a teaching method.
The abuse shelters and women's villages are where women's economic development takes place. There carpentry, plumping, solar green jobs, sanitation can be taught. Women's home building companies can be formed and guarded.
We woman identified feminists must start to organize around this now or a great opportunity for democracy with equal rights will be lost in the world. See CNN report from Iraqi troops, Kira Phillips in Baghdad. This is film of Iraqis telling US media what they need -saying what is needed. The video may still be somewhere on the CNN website.
Iraqi want democracy training. Training from US troops, democracy training from western TV programs - - free fair election laws. Iraqi are watching this US election on their TV sets and trying to learn from it (that is why our voting booths and polling rooms should be on TV).
Most Iraqi seemed to want want Clinton to win -(Hillary's withdrawal plan showed a concern for Iraqi people's welfare whereas Obama just wants to get out).
Iraqi want one person, one vote, privacy in voting, separate men - women polling stations, simplified voting, to learn about federal, state relationships and responsibilities, Iraqi want jobs, green jobs for males and females.
See also,CNN, On Deadly Ground: Women of Iraq.
CNN Sat and Sun night, the 15th and 16th.
Let's all watch together.
Feminist must insist on a reconstruction that helps Iraq achieve secular society with all our individual personal freedom. We must insist, through the surge, on a secular system as the only way to freedom and peace between the religious factions and non Muslims in one society. The US has done this - we know what works.
We must teach separation of church and state -- we must make this position our feminist foreign policy for Iraq and Afghanistan. That is the Iraq reconstruction plan that can unite the country. Sharia law should be abolished in Iraq and Afghanistan and secular law taught in the schools. We Hillary women could demand feminist reconstruction be in the platform at the democratic convention. We want trade and economic development to result in economic advancement for all our people; US, Iraqi and Afghani.
Remember, let's all watch CNN this weekend and see Women of Iraq.
http://www.greenconsciousness.org/weblog/
I watched that show
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